Wolfe straightened. “Here we go.”
Mal watched as the local cops handed over the two prisoners, obviously with great irritation. A van pulled up, seemingly out of nowhere, and Force took the two guys toward it. “The van is a nice touch. You ever get the feeling Force has everything already planned? Every minute detail for the team?” Mal asked.
Wolfe shrugged. “Better him than anybody else, if you ask me. He just wants to catch the bad guys.”
“At what cost?” Mal murmured quietly.
Wolfe took out and started unwrapping a piece of gum. “Any cost. You know?”
Mal exhaled slowly. Yeah, he did know. But for the first time in his entire life, he had something to lose. And Pippa was right smack-dab in the middle of this mess.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Pippa had just finished baking cookies when her phone rang. She moved to it, wincing at the tenderness in her rear end. Then she chuckled, feeling oddly light. Malcolm West as a wild man when unleashed. She clicked the button. “Hello?”
“Ms. Smith? This is Liliana at Wrenches Mechanics and More? You said to call if I had an opening to look at your car, and because my dumbass dickhead of a bastard boyfriend dumped me last night, it turns out my morning is free.” The voice was strong, female, and sounded young. “You said you’re about an hour out of Minuteville, and I can leave in just a few minutes. I’ve finished burning the clothes he left at my place.”
Pippa sucked in air and tried to follow the conversation. “Um, okay.” Wow. That was a lot.
“I need an address, lady,” Liliana said easily.
Pippa shook herself into awareness. Giving her address went against everything she had inside her, but there wasn’t a choice. She gave it, trying to sound sure, not tentative.
“Got it. I’ll be there in an hour and will probably stop for a latte on the way. You want anything?” Liliana asked.
Pippa bit her lip. “No, but thanks.” A latte would be cold by the time the woman arrived.
“Yep.” Liliana hung up. Probably to go burn pictures or something.
Okay. The woman was a mechanic listed in the white pages on the internet with a good website. There were tons of reviews, and some of them went back five years. This wasn’t some weird trap. If anybody from the family had found Pippa, they wouldn’t have wasted time sabotaging her car. They would’ve taken her quickly.
She cleared her throat. If she was going to have any sort of life with Malcolm, she had to stop being so paranoid. Pressing Speed Dial, she tried to reach Trixie.
The phone rang, and the automated voice came on saying to leave a message. Pippa frowned and left a quick one. It wasn’t like Trixie not to answer her phone, but maybe she’d ended up with a morning shift at the restaurant.
Pippa stretched her neck and set the phone down. Her body was all sorts of tingly. She glanced at the kitchen table, and heat splashed into her face.
The things he’d done to her. She’d challenged him to do each one. Her heart felt lighter somehow. Was this what love felt like for normal people? Was she in love with him? It had been such a short time they’d known each other.
Did that really matter?
More importantly, what did she want to do about it? She was tired of hiding and being scared. When he got home, she’d ply him with cookies until he hit a sugar high, and then she was going to tell him everything. Especially the bad parts that might put her in jail.
She’d already finished her work for the day. The construction company was expanding and wanted her to file paperwork on S Corp status. It was surprisingly easy. So, maybe she’d bake more cookies. Mal could always take some to work.
She baked happily for about an hour until a vehicle drove up outside. Curious, she moved to the window to peer out, seeing a gray van with the Wrenches Mechanics and More logo on the side. A woman about six feet tall jumped out, her hair curly and black, her bounce definitely energetic. Even wearing overalls and a slim tool belt, she looked like a runway model. All curvy and sleek. Within seconds, she was knocking on the door.
Pippa wiped her hands down her apron and opened it, her heartbeat ramping up. She was about to let a complete stranger into her home.
“Hi. You must be Pippa. I’m Liliana,” the woman said, her brown eyes sparkling against her darker skin. “Where’s the car?”
“In the garage.” Feeling a bit subdued compared to so much energy, Pippa walked Liliana to the garage door and opened it. “I’m sorry about your boyfriend.” Was that lame to say?
“I know, right?” Liliana shook her head. “What a dick. We’ve been dating for almost six months, and he’s like, ‘I’m not sure I’m ready for this.’” Her voice had lowered into a hick-sounding tone. “Duh.” She moved forward and popped the hood. “Let’s see what’s going on here. In case I require it, is the owner’s manual in the glove box?”
“Yes.” Pippa stood there, uncertain. “If you don’t need me, I have cookies in the oven. Just come on in.”
“No prob.” Liliana leaned over and started studying the engine, continuing to mimic the ex-boyfriend. “‘I like you and all . . .’”
